How to Check if There is Growing Room in Your Kids’ Shoes? – The Most Effective Way!

Are you always wondering when it’s the correct time to replace your kids’ shoes? Parents are always asking me how can they tell when it’s the perfect time to have their children fitted for new shoes. Whether your purchase your kids’ shoes online or at your local shoe store, it’s important to know when is the correct time to purchase your child some new shoes.

This is really important since if your child is wearing shoes that don’t fit properly, this can lead to several foot issues such as blisters, calluses, and corns.

I have been working for a specialized children’s shoe store for over 10 years now, and I handle approximately two hundred shoe fittings and try-ons per week. I have fitted hundreds of children’s shoes, and I am familiar with which shoe brands and which shoe styles are better than others. I am also an expert when it comes to fitting children in the correct pair of shoes.

Shoes that are too short or too narrow will make your child’s toes rub against the front or the side of the shoes.

While most children’s shoe stores will tell you when it’s the right time to bring back your child to be measured for new shoes based on their age, this method doesn’t always works correctly due to a simple fact:

Every child grows at a different rate, and while there are certain guidelines I can give on when you should take your child back to the shoe store to be measured for new shoes, these guidelines are just an estimate.

You will notice that most children’s shoe stores will tell you that if, for example, your child is 2 years old you will need to come back in around 3 to 4 months to have him/her measured again. Every 2-year-old child grows at a different rate, and while 3 to 4 months it’s the standard time to check, your child might be ready for new shoes before those months.

My point is that while there is a standard time to check if your child has outgrown his or her shoes based on their age, wouldn’t you want to be 100% sure that your child’s shoes are fitting correctly?

This method that I will show you works best for parents who don’t have a local kids’ shoe store in their area and must end up purchasing their kids’ shoes online.

The first thing that I want you to do is to check if your child’s shoes come with a removable insole. This shouldn’t be an issue since 90% of the shoes now come with a removable insole.

The Best Method to Check if Your Child has Growing Room!

I have a particular method (which I found to be the most effective one), that will tell you exactly when it’s time to replace your kids’ shoes.

I believe this is the most effective method since it’s not based on your child’s age, and you will be able to actually visualize how much growing room there is left in your kids’ shoes.

Now let’s check if your child has growing room in the shoes! You can do these by following three simple steps.

The 1stSTEP is to start by pulling the insoles of the shoes out like shown in the picture below:

The 2ndSTEP is to have your child stand up in both insoles. Please remember that most of us have a half a size difference between our feet, hence the important of checking both feet. In this step you also need to make sure that your child is standing up straight and looking straight ahead. Also make sure to align the back of his or her feet perfectly with the back of the insoles. Please take a look at the picture below for clarification:

The 3rdSTEP is to check whether your child still has growing room or not. The first picture shows a child standing up in the insoles and we can clearly see there is still growing room. We want to allow approximately 3/8 of an inch between the longest toe and the end of the shoe. Also notice how the left foot is longer than the right one (that’s why it’s always important to look at both feet).

This second picture shows the same child but in this case the toes are all the way up in the insoles, which means that it’s time to get new shoes.

This is the most effective method I have found for parents who don’t have a local children’s shoe store that they TRUST and must purchase their kids’ shoes online.

This method can also save you a trip to your local shoe store, since you will know exactly when it’s time to get your child some new shoes!

If you are not sure whether you have a good fitting children’s shoe store in your area, you should take a look at an article I wrote where I describe the best children’s shoe stores in the United States:

While I have been fitting children’s shoes for the last ten years, I have also been helping parents find the perfect pair of shoes for their children online for the last three years.

I want you to remember one thing: It doesn’t matter how wide or how narrow your kids’ feet are, there is at least one particular shoe style out there that will FIT the shape of your kids’ feet and I will HELP YOU find it!

Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about this method or if you can’t seem to find a particular shoe style for your child’s feet.

STOP BUYING THE WRONG PAIR OF SHOES FOR YOUR CHILDREN.LET’S START TAKING CARE OF THEIR FEET!

I created this webpage to help parents understand the importance that shoes have in healthy foot development and how they can prevent foot problems in the future.Join the rest of the parents who are taking care of their kid’s feet and get my guide for free: 10 Mistakes Parents Must Avoid When Buying Shoes for their Kids.

Join the rest of the parents who are taking care of their kids’ feet and get my guide for free: The 5 Most Common Mistakes Parents Make when Buying Their Kids’ Shoes

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About me

I have been fitting children’s shoes and orthotics for ten years at a premier children’s shoe store specializing in proper fit for over forty years. Every week I help hundreds of children find the best shoes to fit their particular feet. Bones in children are not entirely developed and if a shoe is not properly fitted, then the child’s body’s biomechanics can be altered. It doesn't matter what type of feet your kids have (narrow, medium, wide, or extra wide), there is a style of shoe that will work best for their feet, and you WILL find it here!

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